This invention relates generally to turntables of a type adapted for installation into a building structure to provide a rotatable floor surface. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved turntable of relatively lightweight modular design for facilitated and economical installation into a building structure.
Turntables are generally known in the art for installation into a building, such as a residential or commercial structure, to provide a rotatable floor surface for example, rotatable turntables have been employed in restaurants to slowly rotate diners through a circular path and thereby alter the view through exterior windows of the building. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,125,189; 3,388,513; 3,491,496; and 4,817,245. Turntable structures have also been proposed for use in a variety of other commercial establishments, such as medical examination and treatment facilities, multipurpose auditorium structures, and vehicular parking structures. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,383,810; 3,395,500; 3,399,501; 3,675,378; and 3,696,805. Residential turntable structures have also been proposed for rotatably displacing all or part of the structure in a residential dwelling, in accordance with energy efficiency requirements, multipurpose usages of floor space, and the like. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,764,783; 3,078,522; 2,823,425; 3,933,400; and 4,644,705.
In general terms, prior art turntables for use in a building have comprised relatively complicated and costly systems of customized design for installation into a building as a permanent fixture. In this regard, such turntables have typically been installed at the time of initial building construction, with the building structure reflecting substantial and costly nonstandard structural features required to accommodate the size and weight of the custom-designed turntable. That is, prior turntables have typically comprised a circular rotatable platform in combination with underlying support structure and related drive means, all of which collectively occupy a vertical space of substantial dimension, and particularly wherein this vertical profile of the turntable exceeds a typical pedestrian step height of approximately four to seven inches. Accordingly, major deviations from standard building construction practices are usually required to construct a recess of nonstandard depth in the building floor in order to orient the turntable in a flush configuration with surrounding floor surfaces. Alternatively, or in addition, major building modifications are normally required to elevate room ceiling height to accommodate turntable installation in a step-up configuration relative to surrounding floor surfaces. Moreover, prior turntables have been relatively heavy with purportedly lightweight versions still exceeding about twenty pounds per square foot of turntable area, often resulting in a need for structural reinforcement of the building when a turntable is used. Such modifications to standard building structures are, of course, both complex and costly, and frequently preclude installation of a turntable into an existing building structure. Moreover, once the turntable is installed, subsequent removal as may be desired to suit changing occupant requirements can also entail costly modifications to the building structure.
The present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages encountered in the prior art by providing an improved turntable of a lightweight and modular design adapted for relatively simple and inexpensive installation into and/or subsequent removal from a building structure, without requiring significant or costly customized structure modifications to the building.